If you are considering studying in Australia, or you are already in the country and one of your plans is to take advantage of your stay to improve your academic training, today we present an option that we recommend you consider. TAFE courses are one of the most chosen options by many students in Australia.
What are TAFE courses?
TAFE (Technical and Further Education) courses are one of the most popular options among students in the Australian education sector. They are in high demand, both by Australians and international students. They are a kind of professional training with high academic demands.
There’re more than 200 colleges spread across the country and offer high-quality courses in many different specialties. Through these courses you will be able to obtain certificates, diplomas and advanced diplomas with which you will be prepared to enter the labor market. With CatEight Course Finder, you can search for TAFE courses provided by educational institutions across Australia.
These centers ensure a high quality of the study program through a very strict monitoring of the subjects. The attendance and dedication that this type of study requires is usually 4 days a week.
Types of TAFE courses that you can find
TAFE courses are classified by duration, level of study and subject matter. According to its duration you can find:
Certificates
They are the most basic TAFE courses and there are four levels that you can choose from depending on the starting knowledge you have within the area of study you choose.
- Certificate I – lasts 3 months
- Certificate II – duration ranges from 3-6 months
- Certificate III – usually last 6-9 months
- Certificate IV – you will be studying from 9 to 12 months.
The objective of all these certificates is to prepare the student to find work in their area of study and to ensure that a solid foundation is offered to prepare the student for access to higher education. They are like a kind of professional training that may be enough to practice a trade or serve as a bridge to university. Up to you!
Certificates I and II tend to offer basic knowledge. They are, in some way, an introduction to the subject of study that you have chosen. However, certificates III and IV prepare students to enter the world of work or continue studying in their chosen area.
Diplomas
Diplomas last between a year and a year and a half and, therefore, go deeper into the area of study that you have chosen.
With them it is intended to prepare the student to use the skills that she has acquired and knowledge in complex techniques. It is expected that the student can demonstrate their own initiative and decision-making capacity in technical and managerial issues of the industry.
Advanced Diploma or Advanced Diploma
It is the next level of the Diploma and offers a very high and specific training to the student within a specific area. It lasts between one year and two and a half years.
Advantages of studying a TAFE course
- Its excellent academic level: all TAFE institutes in Australia are controlled by the government, which ensures high quality standards.
- Availability in all states of Australia: TAFE institutions have several campuses located in different locations in each Australian state or territory.
- The variety of fields and areas to choose from: from administration, finance, technology, construction and engineering to tourism, visual arts and many other disciplines of interest. To give you an idea, TAFE institutions in the state of New South Wales offer more than 1,200 academic degrees in short and long courses.
- They serve as a pathway or access route to the university. International students can have their TAFE course credits recognized at some Australian universities. For example, by obtaining a diploma at a TAFE institution, the student can validate the credits and validate up to two or three semesters of study at the university.
- Most of your classmates will be Aussies. In the TAFE courses you will share a classroom with Australian students, which will make your English improve by leaps and bounds.
- Classrooms with few students. This will make the attention you receive very personalized.
- You will gain practical experience in your area of study. These courses have an internship period in which you can have your first contact with the world of work and who knows if that might be your passport to your new job.
Requirements to access a TAFE course
Although each study program has its specific requirements to access, there are some general requirements that will surely be required of you, whatever you study:
- A competent level of English. They will ask you to demonstrate at least a medium-high level. Some may ask you for IELTS and others to pass an English test of their own.
- Minimum studies of Baccalaureate. You will have to present a title that proves it. They can ask you for the certificate equivalent to grade 10, 11 or 12 in Australia or the Baccalaureate certificate in Spain
- Interview or portfolio. Although they are not fixed and essential requirements, in some study programs they will ask you for them. For example, for design and art courses they may require a portfolio.
Some courses have as a prerequisite studying a particular subject or having work experience. If you don’t have any of the requirements, don’t worry! There are some special assumptions of admissibility, so it is best to consult the website where the course you want is offered for all the characteristics and specific requirements.
Differences with VET courses
TAFE courses differ from VET courses by having a better educational quality and a greater variety of courses. Ok, it is true that they are a bit more expensive than VET, but it is worth paying for a quality product. They are much cheaper than university degrees!
In addition, the teachers of the VET courses are taught by industry professionals of your choice and you will learn in classes with a small number of students. Another advantage compared to the VET is that once you finish the theoretical part, the practices that you have to do are usually paid. You will get some money back!
To access TAFE courses you will need to have a competent level of English that will continue to improve since most of your classmates will be native speakers. They are a great option to integrate into the real Australian culture, since the majority of the students are Aussies.
How much will it cost me to study a TAFE course?
The procedure followed for the payment of TAFE courses is an advance payment each semester. To enjoy any course, several payments will be required:
- Registration payment: It is a deposit of 100 dollars that you have to make only once.
- Tuition payment: You will be required to make this payment every six months. To calculate the cost of it, you will have to look at the total cost of the course and divide it by the number of semesters that you are going to study. Easy!
- The total price of the course will depend on its duration and the subject of study. To give you an idea, here are some indicative prices:
-Between A$4,210 to A$15,340 per semester for vocational courses
-Between 6,540 to 10,600 per semester for the TAFE NSW Degree courses.
Student of TAFE courses in Australia
We hope that all the information that we have compiled for you helps you to have a clearer idea of what TAFE courses are and that thanks to it you can make the right decision when studying in Australia.
